The Genius Behind The "I-5 Slog"

I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for the last 18 years of my life, and since I was old enough to remember, have driven in every direction in and out of the state of Washington.

When I was 10, we drove from Seattle to Bozeman, Montana, and on to Yellowstone National Park. At age 13, we took off due north and went through the US - Canada border to visit British Columbia. And last summer, at age 21, I drove the 16 hours from Seattle to Santa Cruz, California, stopping in Berkeley and San Francisco along the way.

But those are lengthy drives -- you expect the time spent in the car and are prepared for it.

There is nothing like the Seattle to Portland (or Portland to Seattle) drive. It's approximately 3 hours in length, and unlike a lot of the long car trips I've been on, you know exactly where you are the entire way thanks to landmarks and familiar cities. Knowing your exact location in the state and how close (yet SO FAR) you are from your destination is extremely frustrating. The relative shortness (yet again, FAR DISTANCE) of this drive is the problem.

Solution: Try one of Horizon Air's numerous, affordable daily flights between the two cities.

Take off to touch down: A whopping 52 minutes -- I've seen trashy VH1 reality TV shows last longer.

But how will Horizon market this concept?

Solution: Enter WONGDOODY, a creative Seattle-based advertising agency that called upon the history of the "old west" and created an Oregon Trail-esque campaign that transcended both traditional media outlets as well as literal "point of sale" promotional materials that they called "The I-5 Slog".

Buses with the map of the "slog" traveled up and down the I-5 corridor, reminding those who were making the drive how much easier their trip could have been had they decided to fly Horizon.

Even better, WONGDOODY used the familiar landmarks (example: "Last Meal Gorge" referring to one of the last places to grab a bite to eat in southern Washington) that people who regularly make the drive would know and appreciate.

The online videos are shot like a Ken Burns documentary, emphasizing the "old west" image WONGDOODY is trying to promote. Another great execution is the use of online skyscraper ads that urge the target to "Wake the Slogger", referring to the driver who is falling asleep at the wheel.

Its brilliance lies in the simplicity of WONGDOODY's concept -- now I gotta ford the river. Hope I don't lose any of my oxen...